Raheem Morris is headed back to Atlanta with plenty on the line, and the Falcons know exactly what kind of challenge awaits them.
The 50-year-old returns to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Week 7 as the San Francisco 49ers visit the Falcons, setting up a familiar scene for a coach who spent two seasons in Atlanta. Morris went 16-18 as Falcons head coach before getting fired in January, and while that record is what it is, the more important part of his story has been what came next. Once he left, longtime friend Kyle Shanahan brought him in to replace Robert Saleh as San Francisco’s defensive coordinator, and the move has worked out so far.
Through six games, the 49ers are tied for seventh in the NFL with a -0.09 defensive EPA per play, according to SumerSports. They’re giving up the fifth-least yards of offense per game and allowing just 18.3 points per game. That’s the version of Morris Atlanta is getting back this weekend: not the head coach who was let go, but the defensive mind who has quickly settled in and made San Francisco tougher to deal with.
And this isn’t just a reunion for the sake of it. It has the feel of a straight-up revenge game.
Morris knows Atlanta’s personnel well, and that matters even with a different system in place. The Falcons still have Michael Penix Jr. at quarterback, along with Bijan Robinson, Drake London and Kyle Pitts.
They also return four of five starters on the offensive line. The only players Morris is truly new to are Jahan Dotson and Jawaan Taylor, which gives San Francisco a familiar edge heading into Sunday.
That familiarity cuts both ways. Morris should have a strong sense of how to pressure Penix, how to crowd Bijan, and how to force Atlanta into uncomfortable spots. The Falcons’ offense has changed, but the core of what he saw in his two seasons in Atlanta is still there.
The 49ers defense has also taken on Morris’ stamp in other ways. Young players like Gracen Dalton and Jaden Dugger have stepped up, while Upton Stout and Renardo Green look revitalized. The structure may resemble what San Francisco had before, but Morris has found a way to get more out of it.
Expect the pressure to come in waves, especially if Nick Bosa is able to return. Morris has leaned on creative blitz packages, and those looks have been difficult to sort out.
That puts the spotlight squarely on Atlanta’s offensive line, which has to pick up blitzes and protect better if the Falcons want to keep this from becoming a long afternoon. They’ll also need the run game to do its part and keep San Francisco’s offense on the sideline, instead of leaving everything on Penix and the passing game.
That responsibility falls on Tommy Rees’ play-calling.
Even with the tension of Morris’ return, the Falcons are treating it as an emotional matchup rather than a bitter one. Penix called it “exciting” to face him, though he added that they haven’t spoken in a while. Bijan Robinson was just as eager, but a little more direct about what Morris means to him.
“I’m super excited to play him," Robinson said. "Obviously, he’s a father figure, big brother to me. To get to play him and his defense and how well they've been doing is a testament to him and what he's done.”
So while Morris is walking back into Atlanta with a defense that’s been rolling, the Falcons are looking at a game where both sides have plenty to prove. The Niners want to keep their defensive momentum going.
Atlanta gets a chance to test itself against a coach who knows the building, the roster and the offense better than most. What happens next is going to depend on which side handles that familiarity better.
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